CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Charleston community and the national midwifery profession are mourning the unexpected death of Dr. Janell Green Smith, DNP, a beloved midwife who passed away shortly after delivering her first child. Her death on January 2 has sent waves of grief through the families she served, the colleagues who worked alongside her, and the broader maternal health community.
Known affectionately by many patients as “My Favorite Midwife,” Dr. Smith devoted her life to bringing new life into the world. Over the course of her career, she helped deliver more than 200 babies, earning a reputation for exceptional clinical skill, deep compassion, and unwavering advocacy for birthing people. Her passing shortly after childbirth stands as a heartbreaking irony and a stark reminder of the fragility of life—even for those who dedicate themselves to protecting it.
Dr. Smith was based in Charleston, South Carolina, where she was cherished not only as a healthcare provider, but as a trusted presence during some of the most meaningful moments in her patients’ lives. Colleagues and families describe her as warm, brilliant, and tireless in her pursuit of respectful, evidence-based, and equitable maternal care. Her absence, many say, leaves an immeasurable void.
The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) issued a statement mourning her loss and honoring her legacy.
“The American College of Nurse-Midwives mourns the devastating death of Dr. Janell Green Smith, CNM, who died from complications of childbirth,” the organization said. “Dr. Smith was a respected midwife, scholar, and advocate whose life and work reflected a deep commitment to respectful, evidence-based, and equitable care.”
ACNM also noted the broader implications of her death, calling attention to persistent disparities in maternal health outcomes.
“That a Black midwife and maternal health expert died giving birth in the United States is both heartbreaking and unacceptable,” the statement read. “Her death underscores the well-documented reality that Black women—regardless of education, income, or professional expertise—face disproportionate risks during pregnancy and childbirth due to systemic racism and failures in care.”
The organization pledged to honor Dr. Smith’s memory by intensifying efforts to address racial inequities in maternal health and to strengthen accountability within healthcare systems.
Grow Midwives also shared condolences, remembering Dr. Smith as both a leader and a source of inspiration.
“Grow Midwives extends our deepest sympathy and condolences to the family of Dr. Janell Smith Green, DNP, CNM,” the organization wrote. “Her passing brings deep loss to loved ones left behind and continues to bring forward the ongoing crises of maternal death in the U.S. for BIPOC families.”
Grow Midwives noted that Dr. Smith was a scholarship award recipient during Black History Month in 2021, highlighting her passion, purpose, and vision for the future of midwifery.
Those who knew Dr. Smith remember her as a woman who lived her calling fully—someone who poured her knowledge, heart, and advocacy into every birth she attended. As family, friends, patients, and colleagues grieve her loss, many say her legacy will endure in the lives she helped bring into the world and in the ongoing fight for safer, more equitable maternal care.
Dr. Janell Green Smith is remembered not only for the hundreds of babies she helped welcome into the world, but for the love, dignity, and justice she championed for every family she served.